Our History
Come see this beautifully restored and modernized treasure. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the Oster Regent Theatre is as much of the experience as any production on-stage.
The Place for Entertainment Through the Years
From the Cotton to the Regent, and now, the Oster Regent Theatre
As the railroad spread through the nation, people in Cedar Falls were anxious to be part of the traveling theatre audience. Building a theatrical performance hall had been a dream for years, of both Frank Cotton and the local community. In 1910, the dream became a reality when the Cotton Theatre opened its doors. The first show was produced in June of 1910 and starred Mae Robson in The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary.
The theatre was sold and changed names to the Isis Theatre and consequently sold several more times. With the advent of movies, live performance was struggling. The theatre changed its name in 1918 to the Regent Theatre. Merle Blair bought the theatre in 1921 and promoted movies through a variety of innovative ideas. Many residents remember the days of bicycles, nylons and various prizes being given away on the Regent stage. Gene Blair managed the theatre for many years and in 1991 the Blair Family and the Beck Trust gifted the building to the Cedar Falls Community Theatre.
The Cedar Falls Community Theatre board, and community as a whole, raised $1.2 million to restore the building. The fund raising effort was lead by long time resident and businessman Iver Christoffersen, and former local student, resident and actress Annabeth Gish. In June of 1994, the name was changed to the Oster Regent Theatre. CFCT has been its resident community theatre ever since.
Cedar Falls Community Theatre
Cedar Falls Community Theatre (CFCT) was organized in 1978, with the strong support of the Cedar Falls Recreation Department and a dedicated handful of community members. The CFCT started by producing two plays per year on the Holmes Junior High School stage. After 16 years, the theatre group moved to the Regent Theatre building. The CFCT is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that currently utilizes 3 full-time employees, 470 volunteers and contractors, several committees, and a 10-member board to run its operation year round.
Previous Seasons
’78
at Holmes Junior High
FEB – The Curious Savage
’78 – ’79
at UNI's Old Sabin Hall Theatre
JUNE – My Three Angles
FEB – You Can’t Take It With You
at Holmes Junior High
’79 – ’80
JUNE – Bell, Book and Candle
OCT – Life With Father
FEB – Mary, Mary
FIRST SEASON TICKET OFFERING!
’80 – ’81
OCT – The Corn Is Green
JAN – The Good Doctor
’81 – ’82
OCT – The Fantasticks
JAN – I Remember Mama
’82 – ’83
SEPT – Two By Two
FEB – Angel Street
’83 – ’84
SEPT – The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker
FEB – Morning’s at Seven
’84 – ’85
OCT – Something’s Afoot
FEB – Thurber Carnival
’85 – ’86
SEPT – Mass Appeal
FEB – Arsenic and Old Lace
’86 – ’87
OCT – Cotton Patch Gospel
FEB – The Silver Whistle
’87 – ’88
OCT – Finishing Touches
FEB – Our Town
’88 – ’89
OCT – Hayfever
FEB – When We Are Married
’89 – ’90
OCT – Spoon River Anthology
FEB – See How They Run
’90 – ’91
OCT – The Sunshine Boys
FEB – Quilters
’91 – ’92
OCT – Bleacher Bums
FEB – The Mouse Trap
’92 – ’93
OCT – Three Men on a Horse
FEB – Ladies in Retirement
at the Historic
OSTER REGENT THEATRE
’94
JUNE – Rags to Riches
JULY – Summer Sampler
SEPT – Gala
’94 – ’95
OCT – The Curious Savage
JAN – Barefoot in the Park
APRIL – The Philadelphia Story
JUNE – Meet Me in St. Louis
JULY – Summer Sampler
’95 – ’96
OCT – The Foreigner
DEC – New Years Eve Show
JAN – On Golden Pond
APRIL – Plaza Suite
JUNE – All American
JULY – Summer Sampler
’01 – ’02
JUNE – Guys and Dolls
JULY – Summer Sampler
OCT – Death of a Salesman
DEC – It’s A Wonderful Life
FEB – You Can’t Take it With You
’02 – ’03
JUNE – 42nd Street
JULY – Summer Sampler
OCT – The Silver Whistle
DEC – Sanders Family Christmas
FEB – John Loves Mary
’03 – ’04
JUNE – They’re Playing Our Song
JULY – Forever Plaid
OCT – Somethings Afoot
DEC – The Wizard Of Oz
FEB – Two By Two
’04 – ’05
JUNE – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
JULY – Love Letters
OCT – Harvey
OCT – von Trapp Children in concert
NOV – Ozark Jubilee
DEC – Cheaper by the Dozen
JAN – Leo Kottke in concert
FEB – Born Yesterday
’05 – ’06
JUNE – Man of Lamancha
JULY – Buddy Morrow and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
OCT – See How They Run
OCT – von Trapp Family Singers
DEC – The Homecoming
FEB – Rumors
MARCH – Greg Brown with Pieta Brown & Bo Ramsey
’06 – ’07
APRIL – Roger McGuinn
JUNE – Singing in the Rain
JULY – I Do! I Do!
OCT – M*A*S*H*
NOV – Ozark Jubilee
DEC – She Loves Me
FEB – The Imaginary Invalid
’07 – ’08
JUNE – Pippin
JUNE – Larry O’Brien & the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
JULY – Buttons, Bows & Broadway
OCT – Rehearsal for Murder
DEC – Inspecting Carol
FEB/MARCH – Lend Me a Tenor
’08 – ’09
JUNE – Damn Yankees
AUG – Murder at the Howard Johnson’s
SEPT – Sugar Daddy’s Dixieland Concert
OCT – Enchated April
DEC – Plaid Tidings
FEB – The Imprtance of Being Earnest
’09 – ’10
JUNE – Kiss Me Kate
JULY – Iris Dement with Pieta Brown
JULY/AUG – LUV
OCT – Death by Chocolate
DEC – Nutcrackers
FEB – Moon Over Buffalo
’96 – ’97
OCT – Mornings at Seven
NOV – The Fantasticks
DEC – New Years Eve Show
FEB – Crimes of the Heart
JUNE – Once Upon a Mattress
JULY – Summer Sampler
’97 – ’98
OCT – Alone Together
DEC – The Man Who Came to Dinner
DEC – New Years Eve Show
FEB – Foxfire
JUNE – The Pirates of Penzance
JULY – Summer Sampler
’98 – ’99
OCT – Blithe Spirit
DEC – Life With Father
FEB – The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
JUNE – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
JULY – Summer Sampler
’99 – ’01
OCT – Steel Magnolias
DEC – My Three Angels
FEB – The Night of January 16th
JUNE – Anything Goes
JULY – Summer Sampler
OCT – And Then There Were None
DEC – A Christmas Carol
FEB – Here Lies Jeremy Troy
’10 – ’11
JUNE – The Music Man
JULY – Kitchen Witches
JULY – Oscar Musical Mix with Katelyn Epperly
OCT – The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
DEC – Uh Oh, Here Comes Christmas
FEB – Neil Simon’s: The Sunshine Boys
MARCH – Ozark Jubilee
MARCH – Deer Camp the Musical
’11 – ’12
JUNE – Cotton Patch Gospel
AUG – Over the River and Through the Woods
SEPT The Lady with all the Answers – with Meg Merckens
OCT – Arsenic and Old Lace – with Meg Merckens, Tom Johnson – director
DEC – Another Night Before Christmas
DEC – Bill Shepherd Big Band Christmas Concert.
FEB – The Government Inspector
MARCH – Susan Werner – with Pieta Brown
MARCH – Celtic Concert
’12 – ’13
APRIL – Richard Sladek Concert.
MAY – Tom Mullica – A Tribute to Red Skelton
JUNE – Oliver
AUG – Neil Simon’s: Chapter Two
OCT – Deathtrap
DEC – White Christmas
FEB/MAR – Unnecessary Farce
’13 – ’14
JUNE – Oklahoma!
JULY/AUG – Social Security
OCT – The Good Doctor
DEC – 1940’s Radio Hour
FEB – Clue
’14 – ’15
JUNE – The Sound of Music
JULY/AUG – 6 RMS RIV VU
OCT – Squabbles
DEC – Storybook Christmas
FEB/MAR – Boeing, Boeing
’15 – ’16
JUNE – Young Frankenstein
OCT – Dearly Departed
DEC – Mary Poppins
FEB/MAR – Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
’16 – ’17
JUNE – Hello Dolly
AUG – Some Enchanted Evening
OCT – Calendar Girls
DEC – I Love a Piano
FEB – The Fox on the Fairway
MARCH – Visiting Mr. Green
’17 – ’18
JUNE – Guys and Dolls
AUG – Just Ann
OCT – Twentieth Century
OCT – Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play
DEC -Winter Wonderettes
FEB – John Loves Mary
MARCH – Love, Loss, and What I Wore – with Annabeth Gish
’18 – ’19
JUNE – Bye, Bye, Birdie
AUG – 13 The Musical
OCT – Nana’s Naughty Knickers
DEC – A Christmas Carol: The New Musical
DEC – It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Drama
FEB – The Odd Couple
MARCH – Rapture, Blister, Burn
’19 – ’20
JUNE – The Drowsy Chaperone
AUG – School of Rock
SEPT – The Prisoner of 2nd Ave
OCT – Amadeus
DEC – Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn
FEB – The Glitter Girls
’20 – ’21
AUG – UNI Orchesis Spring Gala
SEPT – God of Carnage
NOV – UNI Orchesis Fall Show
JUNE – MAMMA MIA!
AUG –
BRING IT ON The Musical
OCT –The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
DEC – Lori Line on Piano: Christmas Concert
FEB – The Hallelujah Girls
’22 – ’23
MARCH – Shades of Green: The Screaming Orphans Concert
JUNE –The Fantasticks
AUG – Seussical the Musical
AUG – The Last Romance
OCT – Dracula
DEC – Miracle on 34th Street
DEC – Lorie Line on Piano; Christmas Concert
JAN – Cedar Valley Acoustical Guitar Association Concert
FEB – Murder at the Howard Johnson's
Thanks to our 2024-2025 Season Sponsors!
Cedar Falls Community Theatre
103 Main Street, Cedar Falls, IA 50613